Issue 27, Volume 83

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Issue 27, Volume 83

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‘Deficient’

student living Tenants at the ‘boutique’ Vue on MacGregor apartments have raised safety concerns such as a lack of lighting in the parking garage and frequent break-ins. | PG. 2

SPORTS

OPINION

Second-generation athlete finding self

Black mothers have lower survival rate

Junior running back Josh Burrell is determined to step out of his father and brother’s elite track and field shadows and show off who he really is. | PG. 6

Almost 1.200 women die from pregnancy or childbirth complications every year in the United States. For black women, the chances of dying are three times more likely. | PG. 10

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2 | Wednesday, April 18, 2018

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Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

HOUSING

Apartment tenants' complaints upheld by code violations security measures he and other leasing agents were instructed to advertise had not been implemented nearly a year and a half after the summer he’d spent working for the complex.

“We sold our increased security presence and promised these upgrades,” Maxwell wrote. “This was a lie.”

Maxwell said the The Vue on MacGregor had been in the process of fielding bids from prospective security companies regarding security cameras during the summer he worked there.

Though he recalls multiple companies telling property management that certain camera systems would be less effective, he said management eventually decided on a cheaper, wireless system and installed the cameras on the first floor of the complex as a test run.

In the email, Maxwell writes The Vue on MacGregor was deemed a deficient property by the City of Houston Building Code Enforcement following a resident's report that the dimly lighted garage was presenting safety hazards. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar that the cameras didn’t work then, and he’s aware that they were still JASMINE DAVIS On March 8, lighting code the hazardously lighted garage not functional as of February.

MANAGING EDITOR violations within the parking makes up just a fraction of the Beyond the lack of security @JPAIGEDAVIS garage led the off-campus student problems within complex, ranging cameras, Maxwell noted the “The safety of your tenants is in housing community within from a lack of follow-through on lack of lighting in the parking danger,” wrote Vue on MacGrewalking distance of UH to be promised amenities, numerous garage as an additional safety gor resident Aaron Maxwell in a deemed a deficient property by break-ins and managerial risk. Maxwell alleges the lack of February email to the property the City of Houston Building Code concerns. lighting in the garage, and the management’s CEO. Enforcement, but residents say circumstances surrounding it, are False promises code violations.

Maxwell, a political science “People have to use their junior, has been a resident at cellphones at night to get to their The Vue on MacGregor since its car because the garage is pitch opening and worked as a leasing black,” Maxwell wrote. ◆ Two car, auto open garage agent for the apartments over the Due to the placement of the ◆ Reverse osmosis system summer of 2016. During that time, lights, Maxwell noted, water fills ◆ Full granite in kitchen he said, the leasing staff counter were told tops the fixtures, shorting out the It’s a special day when a to inform prospective tenants of and tripping the breaker. ◆ Huge walk-in closet inlights master It’s a special day when a beautifully beautifully renovated the property’s upcoming security His email to Nelson had still renovated brick home setbrick back on a ◆ Jacuzzi bathtub in master home set back on a huge by fenced huge fenced lot surrounded trees, improvements. more complaints. The garage has lotthree surrounded by trees, in a center just miles from the medical The security features Maxwell experienced countless breakPRSRT STD becomes available fordistance lease. to UH 3-minute walking said management promised — ins including to his and his U.S. POSTAGE PAID central campus becomes available which were intended to make roommate’s vehicles.

The lack HOUSTON, TX If you long for the feeling of seclusion 600 forprivacy, lease. but need to live within The Vue on MacGregor the safest of lightingPERMIT andNO. speed bumps in and minutes of where you earn your living student housing community for the structure increased the risk If youhome longwill for delight the feeling …this you.of See it in UH students — included cameras of a residents being hit by a car. seclusion privacy, person, and and you’ll want tobut liveneed here! on every floor and a push for the And the parking garage provided to live within minutes of where property to eventually join the the sole exit from the apartment 2.5 miles from the Medical Center, you earn your living… this home 7.4 miles from the Galleria, 5 miles from Houston Police Department’s complex in case of a fire. will delight you. See it in person, downtown Houston, walking distance to Blue Star Multi-Housing Program, He also noted that gunfire and want toCampus. live here! 2.5 the U you’ll of H Central described on HPD’s website as had occurred multiple times miles from the Medical Center, a cooperative effort between within the building. During his To7.4 learn more andthe arrange a tour miles from Galleria, 5 of this marvelous property contact: law enforcement, residents and employment, Maxwell wrote in miles from downtown Houston, Karre Orton at 713-539-3034, apartment managers to abate the email, he was once asked walking distance to the U of H Karre@KarreOrton.com. crime. to unlock a unit after a bullet Central Campus.

Nearly two years later, Maxwell penetrated the wall of another Listed by Keller Williams Metropolitan Realty To learn more and arrange a said, these promises have yet to tenant’s restroom.

MLS# 71829372 ◆ Two 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath ◆ car, auto open garage tour of this marvelous property be fulfilled.

“All it takes is for one person ◆ Two car, auto open garage ◆ Reverse osmosis system contact: On Feb. 28, Maxwell to be hit in the3/2/15 garage, 9:14 AMfor one ◆ Reverse osmosis system ◆ Full granite counter tops in Victor kitchen or Stuart at (713) 526-9966, emailed Patrick Nelson, of stray bullet to hit someone in ◆ Full granite counter tops in stellashouse@yahoo.com ◆ Huge walk-in closet in master Nelson Brothers University their sleep, for one rain storm to kitchen ◆ Jacuzzi bathtub in master Housing, which manages the cause a fire, or for one robbery ◆ Huge walk-in closet in apartments, regarding the to go wrong, for someone to die,” master PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE lack of improvement in on-site ◆ Jacuzzi bathtub in master PAID HOUSTON, TX security. In the email, Maxwell CODE VIOLATIONS PERMIT NO. 600 detailed his concern that the Continues on page 4

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FACULTY

Q&A: Communications professor sees storytelling as path for social change

Erica Ciszek's life has led her to constantly push boundaries and defy the expectations others have placed on her. Now as a communications researcher and proud member of the LGBT community, she studies trends related to identity and activism, and wants the next generation to be outspoken storytellers. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar

DREW JONES

CAMPUS EDITOR @DRWSZN

The annual frank conference represents a gathering of the country's leading researchers in

public interest communications in the areas of activism, philanthropy and art. Each year, the conference awards researchers for their work in a chosen field, and this year, a

professor from UH was named a finalist.

Erica Ciszek, an assistant professor of public relations and strategic communications, was chosen for her paper "Activist Strategic Communication for Social Change: A Transnational Case Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Activism."

Ciszek lives at Cougar Village II as a faculty-in-residence: she "eats, sleeps and breathes UH." When she's not with freshmen at the residence hall, she studies the intersections of identity, technology and communication.

The Cougar spoke to Ciszek about her life, what lead her to academia and the University and how this generation is shaping the role of activism and communication through the internet, social media and storytelling.

The Cougar: One of the most notable social movements

happening right now is in Parkland, Florida with the activists who are pushing for gun reform. What do you think has made them so effective in a policy arena in which some have given up hoping for meaningful change?

Ciszek: What’s going on with Parkland is interesting. How these young people are able to capture the attention and energy and propel it forward has to do with their relationship to media and their understanding of communication.

It’s very apparent that they know the various channels and are able to tell their stories really well. They’re articulate speakers, and it shouldn’t come as any surprise that some of these students identify as minorities in some aspects of their lives. The people who represent them are able to use their platforms as well to lead people in calls to action.

It has a lot to do with strategic communication and harnessing their stories while being able to tell them in compelling, energy-generating

ways. When it comes to issues like gun control and regulation, every time there’s a mass shooting of some sort, there’s an energy and also what psychologists call compassion fatigue. People feel like they’re powerless and have spent their emotional energy which leads to a lack of caring. So, what’s happening is these young people are capitalizing on their knowledge of social, digital and traditional media while also being very good in front of cameras. Emma González; that’s powerful. David Hogg; that’s powerful.

The Cougar: Whether it’s the Arab Spring, the Black Lives Matter movement, the Women’s March or #MeToo, what do you think it is about the nature of social media that allows it to be such an effective tool at undercutting the old-school channels of TV or radio?

PROFESSOR Q&A

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CODE VIOLATIONS

Continued from page 2 Maxwell wrote.

He had given property management a month to begin addressing the issues before going public with his experiences. When Maxwell sent the email, there were only three days remaining in his countdown.

Three hours later, Patrick Nelson responded.

Nelson said the money that could be used to fix these problems was instead going toward the property’s high taxes.

“The property is losing money everywhere,” Nelson wrote.

“Where do you suppose a brand new building that passes all codes should come up with the millions of dollars you are requesting?”

On March 7, exactly one week later, Maxwell forwarded his concerns to Acting Building Official Bob Oakes of the Houston Building Code Enforcement.

The Building Code Enforcement department monitors the safety and structural integrity of buildings throughout the city and fines owners that allow issues to persist. If an investigation finds issues, the BCE posts a notice declaring the building is not up to standards.

The Vue on McGregor received its first notice the day after Maxwell’s email. A second one arrived four weeks later on April 5.

In an email received Tuesday, Paula Platt, the executive vice president of operations for Nelson Brothers Student Housing Investments, said the company is aware of safety concerns associated with the dark garage and is working with residents on-on-one. However, she said, management is not liable for any vehicle or property damage sustained in the garage.

She said the property is undergoing a lighting upgrade expected to reach completion May 15. Additionally, installation of an upgraded camera system throughout the property should begin in the next two weeks.

While she said no one can guarantee safety, security upgrades have been made to the property since its opening including an escort service to and from cars in the parking lot, repainting interior hallways a lighter color, and a 24/7 on-call service.

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being promised on every floor have yet to be installed, and fewer than two floors of the property’s seven-level parking garage are lighted. Garcia said the dark garage has been accompanied by frequent vehicle break-ins, as often as a few cars each week.

Since the lights went out in the parking garage, she said she has lived in constant fear that she will be attacked walking to and from her vehicle in the dark, and management has yet to tell residents when the lights will be fixed.

But the parking garage isn’t the only place within the complex where she feels unsafe.

Since moving into the apartments in fall of 2016, Garcia said she’s come home on two separate occasions to find her front door left open by on-site staff members.

“Living here in the recent months has caused me to constantly be anxious in my own apartment,” she said. “I lock my bedroom door every time I’m sleeping, or even if I leave for 5 minutes, because I don’t know who has access to my apartment and who’s leaving doors open for anyone to come inside.”

Just after 1 a.m. on April 8, she called 9-1-1 to report what she believed to be gunshots from within the complex. This wouldn’t have been the first time police were called to the scene as the result of a firearm.

“I have come to terms with the fact that I have a few more months here,” she said. “But

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Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

the last thing I want is for UH students to sign here for upcoming semesters.”

Detriment to involvement Peytie Leigh Elliot, a marketing and management senior, shares this sentiment.

During her time as a resident of The Vue on MacGregor, Elliot said the gate leading into the on-site parking garage — the only parking available to residents — was frequently broken, leaving student vehicles and entrances into the complex vulnerable to anyone who entered through the open gate.

Moreover, she said, the controlled-access electronic locks used throughout the building were unreliable, and the lights used throughout the garage were often out.

“At night, I frequently felt unsafe in the garage and the building in general,” she said. “They also charged us monthly for a parking spot that was supposed to be guaranteed safety within a gated garage. That was never proven to be true.”

Elliot said her parents’ concern for her safety and proximity to campus largely influenced her decision to live at The Vue on MacGregor.

“My parents were very worried about the safety in the area, so (The Vue’s) claim that they had security and a gated garage, as well as locked entryways, was a big deal to them,” Elliot said.

In addition to issues with the level of security in the complex

The Vue on MacGregor received two deficiancy notices due to only partial lighting in its seven-level parking garage that poses risks to property and its student residents. | Courtesy of Aaron Maxwell

after moving in, which Elliot said the property’s management failed to address, her apartment was plagued by frequent maintenance issues.

When mold was discovered in her roommate’s closet, Elliot said maintenance painted over the problem. When the drain in her shower broke, she said it took four separate maintenance requests, and nearly a month spent driving to and from her parents’ home for showers, for the issue to be resolved.

Four months before the end of her lease, Elliot moved home to

live with her parents in Cypress.

“My 2 minute drive was now 45 minutes each way on a good day from Cypress,” she said. “It did not affect my grades, but it affected my involvement in organizations on campus because I was not there as often.”

She continued to pay rent on the empty apartment for the remainder of the term and has decided to continue living at home. “(I) don’t trust any of the apartments anymore,” she said. features@thedailycougar.com

In constant fear In the nearly two years human resource development junior Alyssa Garcia has lived at The Vue on MacGregor, conditions within the complex have gotten only worse, she said.

The security cameras she recalls

The Vue on MacGregor received two deficinecy notices in less than a month concerning garage lighting that won't meet minimum standards for at least a week according to Executive Vice President of Operations for Nelson Brothers Student Hosing Investments Paula Platt. | Dana C. Jones/The Cougar

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PROFESSOR Q&A

Continued from page 3 Ciszek: I don’t want to over-glorify social media because it’s a tool, and we run the risk of thinking it can solve all of our problems. What social media allows us to do is organize in ways in which we were previously unable to across time and space. You’ve got people upset in New York City, Fargo, North Dakota and San Francisco who are able to connect through digital channels.

They can fundraise, tell stories, share and connect in ways that used to be impossible. Combined with traditional media, because TV is still the most effective way to reach a mass audience, there’s a critical mass happening.

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Dana C. Jones & Drew Jones, EDITORS

the continued trajectory.

The Cougar: What have you learned while being a part of the UH community?

Ciszek: There are so many opportunities for research, collaboration, learning and knowledge exchange right here on campus and in the city of Houston itself. Every day I learn from my students, colleagues, my residence and the people in the community.

The Cougar: What drives you?

Ciszek: Ben and Jerry’s has this tagline: “If it’s not fun, why do it?”

I’ve been accused of working all the The Cougar: When you speak time, but it never feels like work if you about social change, what’s the enjoy what you’re doing and you find future you envision? value and meaning in it. The things that drive me are the very things I Ciszek: We’re living the future. see that need fixing in this world. A Right now, just the fact that we’re lot of my teachings and research are talking about the students in Parkland. driven by social inequality. As someone I hope people become more media who studies and teaches strategic savvy, more outspoken and find communications, my questions are: connections and relationships that How can we use those tools and the allow them to tell their stories. With the tools of public relations and advertising #MeToo movement, women are feeling of storytelling to drive social change? empowered to share their experiences That’s a lot of what keeps me up at 10-11210_Cougar 1 3/29/18 AM with sexual assault in waysNews theyApril_2_print.pdf hadn’t night is figuring out social9:45 problems felt supported before. It feels like that’s like poverty, racism, what’s happening

University of Oregon student Manju Bangalore was at a Houston Black Lives Matter protest for the removal of the "Spirit of the Confederacy" statue. Black Lives Matter began on social media following the Trayvon Martin case.

Ciszek talks about how communication and social change has evolved. | Dana C. Jones/The Cougar in government and politics. How can we use communication tools and how can we mobilize people to bring about change?

The Cougar: When students take your classes, what do you hope they take away from them?

Ciszek: Regardless of the industry

they go into — nonprofit, for-profit, government or advocacy work — the goal is for my students to be able to take the critical thinking, strategic and tactical skills they learn and turn that into an ability to tell stories in ways that shape social change. Whether it’s how the big oil and gas company does production in their field or how the city of Houston handles crisis

communication after a natural disaster, I want them to challenge the status quo. Ultimately, who we produce within the school of communication are storytellers. I want my students to be more responsible, ethical and change agents as it relates to storytelling.

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FOOTBALL

Junior looking to step out of Burrell family shadow, continue legacy PETER SCAMARDO

SPORTS EDITOR

@ PLSCAMARDO2

Leaving a legacy is the ultimate goal for any person competing in Division I collegiate athletics.

That task is exponentially harder as a second-generation athlete.

Junior running back Josh Burrell's task is even harder: His father and older brother are two of the best athletes ever to pass through the University.

His father Leroy Burrell, the head track & field coach, was an NCAA champion with the Cougars and later won an Olympic gold medal. His older brother, senior Cameron Burrell, is one of the top sprinters in the country. Josh's story is the trial of stepping out of that shadow to become his own person.

“I feel like I have expectations to live up to,” Josh said when asked if he feels internal pressure to perform at a high

level. “I’m the type of person that when people set something up for me, or they say I can’t do something, my attitude is ‘Whatever you said I can’t do -I’m going to go do it.’”

Growing up, Josh was a chubby kid, so he drifted toward football, he said, and never viewed himself as a sprinter.

But he did also play soccer, basketball and baseball as an adolescent and, later, while attending Ridge Point High School.

Josh said his parents never pressured him to compete in track & field despite the fact they are both Olympic gold medalists in the sport. Leroy Burrell said he has always tried to encourage his sons to do what they like and that doing otherwise is a recipe for disaster.

One in the family Despite encouragement to pursue other sports, Josh

Josh Burrell chose football over track to pave a legacy separate from that of his family. | Peter Scamardo/The Cougar

did compete in track & field, showcasing a different quality of the family athleticism as he ran in the 100m and 4x100m relay while also throwing the

discus and shot put, something Cameron Burrell said very few people can do.

“It’s kind of funny,” Leroy Burrell said. “Josh, his

sophomore year, qualified for the finals at regionals. And of

BURRELL FAMILY

Continues on next page

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BURRELL FAMILY

Continued from previous page course Cameron was in the finals as well. (So) it was actually pretty exciting to see them both on the track together. But I felt all along just because of Josh’s body type he’d probably end up doing something else.”

One thing that helped end Josh’s days as a sprinter was an injury to his medial collateral ligament, or MCL. The recovery time made him gain weight, so he decided to focus on the discus and the shot put. Josh ended up qualifying for the UIL 4A State Championships in both events his senior year, taking silver in the discus throw.

His path to the University of Houston was not a straight one.

For Burrell's junior year of high school, he went to the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Rhode Island with the intention of going on to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.

But that next summer, he came home and decided to attend UH and play football.

Second generation Cougars

In the three years Josh has been at UH, he's seen his brother Cameron become one of the spearheads behind the track & field team’s national championship run.

His freshman year, Cameron had already broken the school 60m record. He would go on to break that record and break the school 100m record, which was owned by their dad and helped anchor the men’s 4x100m relay team to a national championship.

Josh competed once for UH in the discus throw and did poorly, but the recent success of the team has not dampened his spirits.

“It’s definitely something that I’ve been proud to watch my father and brother do,” Josh said. “It’s great for my family. It’s something I love to watch and I feel like I’m a part of it every day.”

As for Josh, he has appeared in 19 games in two years with the football team.

After redshirting in 2015, he has seen the majority of his playing time come on special teams, scoring one touchdown

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in 2016.

He was kept out of the Red & White Game due to a hamstring injury, so it is unclear how he will be used in the upcoming season. But Josh said he is going to make the most of whatever opportunity he gets.

SPORTS

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Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

Josh and Cameron are forever linked as brothers, but they have separate dreams and goals.

Together their efforts are writing the next page of the Burrell family history at UH. “To me it means everything,” Josh said. “I’ve kind of been the

one that’s always in the shadows.

Nobody’s ever really known who I am. I’ve always been Cameron’s brother or Leroy’s son, so I’m looking forward to being who I am.” sports@thedailycougar.com

Burrell has played in 17 games, with the majority of his playing time coming on special teams. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

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Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

Senior Trumaine Jefferson could earn his way onto the 4x100m relay team on the third leg, as the other three have solidified their positions with national Top 10 sprint times. | Peter Scamardo/The Cougar

COMMENTARY

Relay wins will bring track & field team a national title PETER SCAMARDO

SPORTS EDITOR

@PLSCAMARDO2

During the outdoor track & field season, the first race after "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the 4x100m relay, arguably the most exciting and stress-inducing race in the sport.

The relay sets the tone for the entire meet. For the Cougars, it has been the tone setter for the entire season. Winning the men's 4x100m relay national title in June raised the bar for every athlete on the squad and showed that winning on the national stage is possible.

The trickle-down effect from winning that race 10 months ago has the team in a position where it should expect to win NCAA Outdoor Championship this June.

“It’s like a domino effect,” said senior sprinter Cameron Burrell.

“One good thing happens, another good thing will happen. It’s a great feeling when your teammates go out and compete well because it gives you that spark and momentum and that drive to go do better, and then from you it goes to the next person.”

Winning the 4x100m relay is a higher achievement than other events because it puts the accomplishments of a team

entire squad. Just as everyone has to do their part to win the relay, so to do all the pieces have to come together to win a team national

“It’s like a domino effect. One good thing happens, another good thing will happen.

It gives you that spark and momentum and that drive to go do better.”

Cameron Burrell, senior sprinter above the individual. It requires precision, speed and passing from four athletes, not one.

Even if a relay team has a record-breaking individual, that does not guarantee success.

When the Cougars took home the 4x100m national title, it was an example of how four people can come together to accomplish something great. Not one of them took home an individual title.

Burrell was the only one to come close, with a silver medal in the 100m. But they all left Oregon as national champions The 4x1 is a stand in for the

championship.

“It’s never about you. It’s about the guys next to you and the university on your chest,” Burrell said. “It’s good to operate as a unit because you feel a greater sense of accomplishment because you did something together with somebody.”

Senior sprinter Elijah Hall, who won two medals at the Indoor Championship, is the most recent example of the domino effect, but it has also been seen in the multi events and the distance events.

Now, national media is paying attention to the goal set out by

head coach Leroy Burrell: winning the national team title.

Biggest opponent The last two seasons, the Cougars have been up against the LSU Tigers for the fastest time in the country. The Tigers won the relay national title in 2016, and the Cougars got their revenge in 2017. Already the two have faced each other this season at the Texas Relays on April 1.

In what looks to be a practice run for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the two were separated by the thousandths of a second as the Cougars outran the Tigers 38.92s to 38.93s.

In that race the Cougars could have settled for second place. It was early in the season, and they knew they would have future opportunities. Instead they took the fight to the SEC powerhouse and earned the win.

The last three seasons the relay team has been the model of excellence for the entire team to strive toward. When it is time for the them to perform at their highest, the relay team always puts on a show.

UH has the No. 3 time on the NCAA performance list, all but assuring its spot at the national championships in Oregon.

Cream of the crop The relay team has three athletes who have all posted top times in the country as individuals.

Burrell ran 10.01s in the 100m at the Texas Relays, the second fastest in the country under any conditions.

Lewis III has a time of 10.12s in the 100m, No. 10 in the NCAA, while Hall is No. 3 in the 200m with a time of 20.11s.

“It’s spectacular,” Lewis III said. “The fact that we all train together, the fact we can push each other in practice means we’ll all be faster on the track, and when you put that together, running singular, it just means that we’re dangerous this year.”

The relay team has created the momentum necessary for them to make a run. Now that momentum has to domino toward all the other events come June. sports@thedailycougar.com

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SPORTS

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Peter Scamardo, EDITOR

FOOTBALL

Q&A: Center looking to end career with conference championship PETER SCAMARDO

SPORTS EDITOR

@PLSCAMARDO2

Injuries to the offensive line forced Will Noble to take over at center his freshman season in 2015, and has been the main starter ever since. Noble has seen the highs of a conference championship and the lows of losing a bowl game.

More importantly, he has been the main defender for five different quarterbacks in just three seasons.

He has seen the masterclass of Greg Ward Jr. and the struggles of the quarterback carousel in 2017.

The Cougar caught up with Noble, who's now going into his senior year, to talk about his career and what he hopes to see in 2018.

The Cougar: When you were a freshman, what was it like getting thrown into the starting position so early in your career?

Will Noble: It’s definitely a shock. You have the practices to get ready for it, but getting thrown in there with the crowd

able to recognize stuff. But the stuff I’ve seen and the stuff I’ve done — you’ve got to instill that on the other people so that maybe they won’t screw it up when they see it for the first time. Maybe they’ll know what to do and know how to react. So definitely bringing others along and sharing my experiences to help the group.

Everything’s a building process, and once you have the quarterback, everything can build around him and everything can build up under the direction of that one person. Him being a leader and him being the guy allows us to work through him and be comfortable that he’s going to do his job. It’s like that for anybody who's earned a spot.

TC: What was last season’s quarterback carousel like for you at center?

It makes you feel confident that they’re going to do their job.

TC: This is your final season now. What are you hoping to see?

Noble: It definitely was a new thing

Senior center Will Noble (#69) has been the starter for five different quarterbacks in three years with the football team. | Courtesy of UH Athletics and the people cheering — there’s a lot more pressure. But I’m glad it happened.

I’m glad I didn’t screw it up.

TC: How have you tried to improve between each season?

I’m glad I took advantage of the opportunity, and here I am now three years later.

lot of stuff. I’ve seen so many defenses, so many different blitzes — I’ve been

Noble: Experience for one. I’ve seen a

that we had three different starting quarterbacks in one year. It is a little tough, not so much from an offensive line standpoint but from an overall offense. Having that many different people (back there), it’s hard to build that confidence and camaraderie and chemistry. So I think having one leader back there, standing back there confident really helps the offensive out.

Noble: A conference championship.

TC: How does it help the team knowing D’Eriq King’s going to be the starter as long as he’s healthy?

I’m trying to win. You can shoot for an undefeated season — that’s always what we want — but we want a conference championship. We want to win the American. That feeling freshman year has always been in the back of my head. Not having it the past two years has made it more and more desirable. I want to go get that conference championship and win a bowl game.

Noble: It’s a confidence booster.

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10 | Wednesday, April 18, 2018

OPINION 713-743-5304

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Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

CULTURE

Black women most likely to die after childbirth Too many black mothers are losing their lives to prejudiced healthcare

T

he United States is home to one of the highest mortality rates for mothers in the developed world.

Despite the fact that the United States spends an estimated $98 billion per year on hospitalization for pregnant women during pregnancy and childbirth — twice as BETHEL BIRU much as any OPINION other country ASSISTANT EDITOR in the world — its MMR has more than doubled in the past 23 years, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.

A country that claims to be one of the most powerful and influential forces in the world can’t even take the necessary steps to protect its new mothers.

Every year in the United States, almost 1,200 women die from pregnancy or childbirth complications, and another 60,000 have nearfatal complications. And black mothers have lower chances of surviving after giving birth than any other race in the United States.

This has to change.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black women in the United States are more than three times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth related causes than white women.

It’s scary to realize that new black mothers in the U.S. die at about the same rate as women in countries such as Mexico and Uzbekistan.

Tennis superstar Serena Williams nearly died after giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia. Williams noticed she was having trouble breathing and notified nurses immediately.

After identifying her health problems and letting the doctors know exactly what was wrong with her, Williams was able to receive the proper care that assured her survival.

The fact that Williams had to insist on being properly checked is unsettling. Had she not voiced her concerns and demanded proper care, Williams would have died.

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Giving birth to a child is already worrying and stressful enough, so it makes you wonder: “If a celebrity like Serena Williams wasn’t given the proper medical attention and almost lost her life, what will happen to someone like me?”

A 2016 analysis of five years of data found that black, collegeeducated mothers who gave birth in local hospitals were more likely to suffer severe complications of pregnancy or childbirth than white women who nevergraduated from high school.

The fact that black women with a college education, social and economic advantages can still die or be at a higher risk compared to an average white woman shows there is something incredibly wrong with our system.

It’s not surprising that racism is the star of this morbid show.

Black mothers-to-be and new mothers often say that doctors and nurses don’t take their pain seriously. The stereotypical belief that African-Americans have higher pain tolerance and don’t need to be treated with as much care has its roots in slavery, yet still manifests itself today, even in hospitals.

Existing health issues heighten the chances of suffering from complications

during and after giving birth.

An average of 7.6 percent of black women suffer from heart disease compared to 5.6 of white woman. In 2016, nearly 46 of every 100,000 black women died from strokes, while 35 of every 100,000 white women did. Women who lack health insurance are three to four times more likely to die of pregnancy related complication than those with insurance.

While insurance is a benefit of living in a first world country, the survival of a mother and her newborn child shouldn't depend entirely on the assumption that they have such a luxury.

I spoke with a family friend, Ruth Tessfaye, who shared her own horrifying experience.

After giving birth to her fourth child, she found herself constantly in and out of the hospital for dizzy spells, shortness of breath and constant bleeding beyond the normal six-week period.

Known as lochia, tissue from the lining of the uterus sheds and produces vaginal discharge including blood during the postpartum period.

Despite being reassured her body was just healing, she knew something was still not normal.

It wasn’t until she stormed into the hospital and demanded her doctor fully check out what was wrong with her body

that they found the issue and immediately performed a surgery that would save her life.

“There’s nothing more depressing, more terrifying than the thought of not being able to see your children again." she said, "Not being able to be there as they grow up, especially for your newest born,” It shouldn’t have to take more suffering and a near-death experiences for black women to receive proper medical care.

It’s not in a doctor or nurse’s criteria to decide who can and cannot endure a certain amount of pain, especially based on skin color. The strong black woman trope not only harms black women socially and mentally but medically as well, impacting and threatening lives forever.

Every mother, everywhere, regardless of race or background deserves to have a healthy pregnancy and birth.

Who you are or where you are from shouldn’t be the deciding factor for whether or not you and your baby get to live or die.

Ruth Tessfaye's name was changed, at her request, to protect her privacy.

Assistant opinion editor Bethel Biru is a broadcast journalism senior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

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OPINION

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CARTOON

POLITICS

Trump's tariff tensions with China

Making progress requires Constitutional flexibility

T

hrough no fault of its own, the United States Constitution, a document constructed well over 200 years ago, is being used to impede progress and maintain the status quo. In an ongoing demonstration of this reality, the Constitution has transformed into an omnipotent, be-all end-all answer for hardliners who oppose gun control.

After tragedy RYAN strikes, proNOWROUZKI gun control OPINION marchers flood COLUMNIST the streets in demonstrations calling for bigger and bolder change. Meanwhile, those in opposition remind the world of their constitutional right to bear arms with their own bold and daring demonstrations.

In the case of extremely polarized political climates, like the one surrounding gun control, larger debates and conversations devolve into a matter of which side is better serving the interest of our founding document. By nature, this has inevitably led those in opposition to gun control to wall off behind the Constitution as to reinforce the idea that their interpretation of what has been written is the whole and undeniable truth.

This sort of constitutional close-mindedness has made it impossible not only to understand the issues plaguing our nation but also how to solve them. However, that failure to effectively engage in discourse is not unique to one side.

“The people who are for the right to bear arms need to be able to explain why the right to bear arms is good for liberty, and it's not clear to me that they do,” said UH political science and Honors College professor Jeremy Bailey, “In the same way that it’s not clear to me that their critics are making the case that it’s bad for liberty.”

Although it’s clear there is a fundamental need for change within both schools of thought, a larger problem persists for those who vehemently turn away from gun control and cite the Constitution.

This document has become the sole source of justification for many of their beliefs.

“The Second Amendment doesn’t need to be rewritten or appealed,” said Libertarian candidate for Montana’s U.S. House seat, Elinor Swanson . “It needs to be reread and respected.”

As a functioning and evolving

Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

democracy, it is necessary to fundamentally reshape the way we think about this document.

In an attempt to ameliorate this burgeoning problem, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens published an op-ed in the New York Times calling for dramatic action - a complete and total repeal of the Second Amendment.

“Concern that a national standing army might pose a threat to the security of the separate states led to the adoption of that amendment,” Stevens wrote. “Today that concern is a relic of the 18th century.”

According to researchers at the Washington University in St. Louis, the only other countries that feature a right to bear arms in their constitution are Guatemala and Mexico. While Stevens' proposal is unlikely to reach fruition, his rationale makes sense in an international context.

Although repealing the Second Amendment may seem excessive, it does highlight the need to openly call out and question the status quo

surrounding gun control, regardless of who said it and where it was first written down.

Rights and liberties long overdue to some are forbidden based on our inability to find common ground with the Constitution. It happened with granting full rights to blacks, women, Native Americans and the LGBT community. It is once again occurring with a much more lethal issue and one everybody is predisposed to.

People live today but base their ideas about how to live in the past.

We need to understand that solutions are only achievable when a broader segment of the population comes to the realization that new problems cannot always be solved by looking back in time.

Only by rewiring the way we think about the Constitution can there be a turning point in the gun control debate.

Opinion columnist Ryan Nowrouzi is a biomedical sciences sophomore and can be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

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OPINION 713-743-5304

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Anusheh Siddique, EDITOR

POLITICS

The Letters for Change event received attention and attendance from a diverse array of the student body, who wrote letters to Texas representatives about Myanmar. | Courtesy of Student Nation

This generation is writing the letters that will spell out societal change

A

s college students, we are consistently convinced our vote doesn't matter, our opinions are not valid and we cannot make a change in the world. It is easy to feel apathy from the conclusion that our vote does not counting, which taints the reputation of the youth in the United States.

This generational feeling is not a coincidence.

There is a purposeful disenfranchisement of the youth.

ANUSHEH This is a ridiculous SIDDIQUE assumption when you OPINION EDITOR reexamine history through the lens of the passionate young individuals who became the catalyst for change from the March on Washington to the March for Our Lives.

Student Nation of UH is an organization on campus that aims to raise awareness for social issues and connect students to their government. It stemmed from the 20th Century Genocides class in the honors college. They have planned a letter writing campaign for this Thursday. The letters will be mailed to Texas representatives regarding pressing international and domestic issues such as healthcare, DACA and the genocide of the Muslims in Myanmar.

They are in response to overwhelming silence on these issues by Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.

According to the Pew Research Center, millennials, which are categorized as 20 to 35- yearolds, will soon

outnumber Americas largest generation, Baby Boomers.

The Millennial generation was born when every industry and institution — politics, technology social movements — was constantly evolving. Obviously, the opinions born from a fluctuating period in history sharply contrast from conservative and normative beliefs before them.

We are deriding those who want to change the world for the better, whether it is through technological change in Silicon Valley or social change and awareness for the disenfrachized.

This negative marketing that opposes Millennials and Generation Z limits our influence in the political sphere.

Our voice would ring loud and clear in the chambers of Congress, where a majority of elderly white men make decisions about the future of our education, student debt, social change and policy that determine how many lives will be lost to preventable gun violence.

Our representatives don't care, and the rise of the youth is the only counter to this apathetic excuse for democracy.

Millennials and Generation X outvoted the Baby Boomers by 21.5 million in the 2016 election.

We have the leverage based on sheer numbers to ask for more representation and respect than we get. This capability and influence is well masked in societal and political rhetoric, disguised as sharp jabs at the esteem of an entire generation.

We cannot let the cynics and skeptics — comfortable in their lofty positions of authority — deny us the right to hold

them accountable through our civic duty.

We have the power to socially crucify politicians like Senator Richard Burr or Representative French Hill who take the most NRA money in their chambers or our very own former Texas Representative, Steve Stockman, who was convicted of 23 counts of corruption and money laundering.

We are not going to accept the demoralization of the ambitions of the youth any longer.

The average member of the House of Representatives represents approximately 700,000 people. Politicians typically rarely reflect the members of their constituency who vote and can provide fiscal support. This often disregards the younger and more diverse demographics.

This makes them feel like they can ignore the opinions of this underrepresented facet of the community.

When politicians, such as Beto O'Rourke, do try to reach out to college voters, they come with simple and generic baseline answers to intricate questions.

When O'Rourke visited UH for a town hall two weeks ago, he followed the common political trend of making vague encouraging statements with solution of substance. This is because the answers are often unpopular, but deserve to be heard.

Students want to know why student debt chases us to the grave and how congressmen can watch school shootings and not draft legislation that could save lives. We have burning questions that demand more than pandering.

It is difficult because there is no obvious political party for us anymore.

Democrats held the attention of the youth with their devotion to reducing global warming and openness to gun control, but their fluctuating stance on student loans is a severe deterrent. The polarizing nature of our current politics and identity politics undermines any attempts to identify with a party and not their loudest members.

This Letters For Change session is the third event of its kind at UH, and the overwhelming support for it was surprising considering the stereotype of the politically uninvolved college student.

The first event in December received 356 letters, and in February there were 419 letters. There is support from the student body for engagement and participation.

This is proof we merit politicians' attention.

These politicians are too comfortable in their current position. Let's show them how we'll vote in the November elections if the silence continues.

We are in a period of remarkable change, growth and progress but also one of apathy, ignorance and silence. It is our decision to determine what change we will make for the history books.

Opinion Editor Anusheh Siddique is a political science freshman and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com